Chapter 163

“Alright,” I nodded, then turned to Lindsey. “We’re heading out.”

She gave me a quick look, clearly sensing something was amiss. Her eyes flicked upstairs, probably wondering about my conversation with Matthew, but she didn’t pry. “Drive safe.”

Hayden and I slid into the car, and just as I was about to start the engine, he placed his hand over mine, stopping me. “What’s up?” he asked, his tone gentle but insistent.

“Nothing, we talked about my parents,” I admitted, offering no evasion.

“You asked about the accident, didn’t you?” He was right, as usual.

I gave a dry laugh. “Yeah, looks like you’re rubbing off on me. I had to know.”

“And?” he pressed.

Remembering Matthew’s words, I started the car and accelerated, answering Hayden. “It was just an accident. There are official reports and everything.” Hayden didn’t push further. We drove in silence, broken only by the city’s hum as we approached the pedestrian street, where traffic was already building.

At a red light, I broke the silence. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No,” Hayden replied honestly.

I glanced at him. “You’ve worked hard today. Let me treat you to dinner.”

“Alright,” he agreed readily.

I found a parking spot and pulled over. As we stepped out, I surveyed the busy food trucks and pop-up stands lining the street. With a dramatic sweep of my arm, I declared, “Everything here is on me—go grab whatever you want!”

Just as I finished, someone bumped into me, knocking me off balance. Without thinking, I grabbed onto the nearest thing—Hayden. Regaining my footing, I realized I had him by the collar.

The whole thing felt like a cheesy rom-com. Worse, Hayden’s face was inches from mine, our noses almost touching, our lips a breath apart. Neither of us moved.

In the crowded street, the mishap became a spectacle. People cheered, whistles pierced the air, and a child’s voice piped up, “They’re gonna kiss!”

My face flushed as more people stopped to watch. I quickly released Hayden, attempting to pull away, but he didn’t budge. He had an arm around my waist, pulling me closer as he whispered, “If you’re embarrassed, stop squirming. I’ll get us out of here.”

For once, I listened. Instead of shoving him away, I let him guide me through the crowd. But the onlookers persisted, chanting, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

People love drama. Hayden and I had held hands, hugged—but a kiss was uncharted territory. The more we tried to escape, the louder the crowd became.

“Do something!” I hissed, pinching Hayden’s arm.

“There are too many people. Kinda hard to get out,” he said nonchalantly.

Sweat beaded on my back as anxiety surged. Then, Hayden leaned in again. “How about we just kiss? I won’t even charge you.”

I blinked, completely surprised, momentarily forgetting the chanting crowd. I looked up at him, wide-eyed.